4G icon vs. LTE icon: What's the difference?

[anon(7817172)]

Hello everyone.

I'm just really curious as to what's the difference between the two: isn't it a complete package of '4G LTE'? Why are there separate icons?

On my Nokia L925 O2-UK, it has the 4G icon next to the signal icon. Why won't it say LTE instead? Or why on other people's WP it says LTE not 4G?

Can someone make it clear for me? Thanks.

And sorry for a noob question like this

 

[James8561]

LTE is actual true 4G
the 4G symbol is the carrier's way of lying to you. when 4G shows, the phone is using HSPA+ which is like 3.5G

 

[xratola]

LTE is actual true 4G
the 4G symbol is the carrier's way of lying to you. when 4G shows, the phone is using HSPA+ which is like 3.5G

Not all the time, it depends on the carrier's firmware.

 

[foxbat121]

In US, ALL AT&T phones will say 4G when on HSPA+ and 4G LTE when on LTE. This is what AT&T tries to confuse ppl in the early days that it doesn't have much LTE towers deployed.

In normal situations, 4G should mean LTE.

 

[klcow]

It seems that only in US and a few countries, the LTE / L indicator is used for 4G LTE (up to 100Mbps/150Mbps) and the 4G indicator indicates HSDPA speeds (up to 42Mbps). In the rest of the world 4G indicates 4G LTE and H+ is used for HSDPA.

 

[xandros9]

'faux' G speeds (3.5G, H, H+) have been advertised as 4G in the US.
My 920 has been flashed to the French ROM from the ATT US one and it says only 4G when Insider confirms it is on LTE.

 

[manicottiK]

Several years ago, T-Mobile US decided to market their HSPA+ network upgrade as 4G. AT&T decided to follow suit. I believe that all phones for those carriers show "4G" when they mean either HSPA or HSPA+; for LTE then typically show "LTE". If you have a phone with ROM for another country, it may not even use the "4G" label.

If memory serves, the common icons for data for the U.S. and the rest of the world (ROW) are as follows:
[TABLE="width: 500"]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]GPRS
[/TD]
[TD]EDGE
[/TD]
[TD]UMTS
[/TD]
[TD]HSPA
[/TD]
[TD]HSPA+
[/TD]
[TD]LTE
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]US
[/TD]
[TD]G
[/TD]
[TD]E
[/TD]
[TD]3G
[/TD]
[TD]4G
[/TD]
[TD]4G
[/TD]
[TD]LTE
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]ROW
[/TD]
[TD]G
[/TD]
[TD]E
[/TD]
[TD]3G
[/TD]
[TD]H
[/TD]
[TD]H+
[/TD]
[TD]L
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[anon(7817172)]

I guess the damn difference in icon is geographic and carrier-wise, specially how false marketing of4G happened in the US. Insider app confirms I have LTE but data icon only shows up as '4G'.

I was proper planning to complain to a Nokia Care Point for this as I don't understand lol thanks guys

 

[foxbat121]

My unbranded Nokia L920 shows 4G icon when connected to LTE. So, I'd guess for rest of the world, 4G means LTE.

 

[iToms]

A german Vodafone-branded Lumia 1020 shows 4G for LTE and H+ for HSPA+

My unbranded Lumia 820 shows L for LTE ... so it depends on your carrier

 

[Nyrup]

LTE is actual true 4G

Actually no. LTE is also a 3G standard, it has to be LTE Advanced or WIMAX Advanced to be 4G. But now that LTE is called 4G, LTE Advanced & WIMAX Advanced is now called True 4G

 

[CageJ]

A german Vodafone-branded Lumia 1020 shows 4G for LTE and H+ for HSPA+

My unbranded Lumia 820 shows L for LTE ... so it depends on your carrier

y,y... but the only difference is German and Austrian FW... but French FW etc. shows like unbranded L for LTE...

And as it was said.. LTE is 3.9G network.. and LTE-A is 4G...

 

[manicottiK]

Based on the above clarifications, here's an updates table of data icons for the U.S. and the rest of the world (ROW) with a semi-humorous number of "G's" each technology is:

	GPRS	EDGE	UMTS	HSPA	HSPA+	LTE
US	G	E	3G	4G	4G	LTE
ROW	G	E	3G	H	H+	L (or 4G for some branded sets)
G's	1.0	2.0	3.0	3.5	3.75	4.0 (or 3.9 if you're a tough grader)

There's no icon/label for LTE Advanced, but it wouldn't surprise me to see "L+" outside of the U.S. and maybe 5G or some other marketing-driven label inside the States. (Maybe very time text spelling LTE above ADV???